Brock Purdy completed 2 out of 3 passes for 0 yards in the second half yesterday against the Buccaneers.
If I had told you that before the game kicked off, it would have been surprising but not altogether unbelievable, considering where he was drafted and the fact that he was facing a good defense with a good defensive head coach.
If I had told you he had done that while his team won the game by 28 points, you probably would have been far less likely to believe me.
But as surprising as that stat line may be, it’s what Purdy did in the first half that made history. Purdy became the first player in almost half a century to throw for at least two touchdowns and run for another in the first half of their first career start. The other, if you’re keeping track at home, was Don Strock of the Dolphins in 1975.
“Man, I’m just excited that we won,” Purdy said after the game, “Just to do what it takes to win. Defense played great, offense did their thing. To come out and win in a crucial part of the season, especially going into a Thursday night game coming up, just very excited.”
There will be a lot of pronouncements from people this week about the 49ers and about Purdy himself. Pay them no mind.
We don’t have to decide anything about Brock Purdy right now. We don’t have to decide if he’s a good quarterback, if he’s better than Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance, or if he’s just having a run of beginner’s luck. None of that matters. There’s a long way to go before the end of the regular season and (hopefully) an even longer way to go before the end of the playoffs.
All we have to do as 49ers fans is enjoy the ride.
Hear more about this and other stories in today’s 49ers in Five podcast. Our five-minute daily update gives you the latest news, best audio clips, and everything else you need to know about the team. Subscribe to the Niners Nation Podcast Network today so you don’t miss an episode!